What are the entry requirements?

The minimum requirement for entry is an Upper Second Class Honours Degree (2.1 or higher) or equivalent in Engineering (for example Biomedical, Mechanical, Electronic, Chemical), Physical Sciences or related discipline from a recognised University. Other degree programmes may be deemed suitable provided that the applicant has proven mathematical ability. This means that the applicant should have achieved at least an A grade in Mathematics (or equivalent subject) at Leaving Cert, A levels or equivalent and in addition the Undergraduate degree programme must have included some mathematical component. Applicants must also have completed an individual research project during their Undergraduate years.

Informal enquiries may be made by contacting Lisa O'Neill in the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering: bioengmsc@tcd.ie

Application timeline

Applications open from 01.11.18 to 31.05.19.

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing scheduled basis and shortlisted. Only complete applications with all required documentation uploaded will be reviewed for shortlisting. Shortlisted applicants will be called for interview with the course director.

Shortlisting for interview is primarily based on academic achievement and suitability for a given specialisation based on dissertation project, awards, other academic related extracurricular activities etc. Please ensure and highlight why you are best suited to the particular stream and your future career ambitions.

Interviews will take place on pre-specified dates in January, March, May and June. Applications received by February will be shortlisted and interviewed the first week in March. Applications received by 30 April will be shortlisted and interviewed in May. Applications received by 30 June will be interviewed in July. Interviewees will be informed about the outcome within two weeks of their interview.

What is the course duration?

This is a one year full time course commencing early September and ending August of the following year.

Is an excellent level in engineering mathematics necessary to undertake this course?

The course is designed for graduate engineers. As such, it is assumed that all have a solid foundation in engineering analysis, specifically signal and system analysis; partial differential equations and optimization.

Is a good level of computer programming necessary to undertake this course?

The course assumes that students have a knowledge of computer programming so that they can implement numerical calculations. This is necessary for some of the projects and some of the assignments. Most programming is based on Matlab and a knowledge of this or similar analysis platform (Octave, MathCad etc.) would be an advantage.

When applying do I need to specify the specialisation I would like to follow?

Applicants must specify the stream they would like to take, if you are interested in more than one specialisation then list them in order of preference on the online application form. There are three Streams: General Stream, Tissue Engineering and Medical Device Design. Please note that specifying your preferred specialisation will not exclude you from other streams.

Is this the right course for me?

The MSc programme will provide a high quality bioengineering education with a focused, coordinated education geared towards enabling our graduates to pursue careers in the medical device sector. The course is primarily aimed at graduates in mechanical and electrical engineering, and graduates with suitable degrees in technology and applied scientific disciplines who intend to pursue a career in the Bioengineering industry. The intake will include both recent graduates and working engineers released from their employment to complete the course.

How is the course structured?

The MSc in Bioengineering consists of taught modules and a project focusing on medical devices and important clinical needs. The taught component for 2018/2019 consists of the following modules:

Advanced Medical Imaging

Basic Medical Sciences

Biomaterials

Biomechanics

Cell and Tissue Engineering

Current Topics in Cell and Tissue Engineering

Design/Innovation

Finite Element Analysis

Foundation Medical Devices Design

Implanted Devices and Systems

Laboratory Techniques in Cell and Tissue Engineering

Medical Device Design

Research Methods

Research Projects

Students who complete the examination requirements and the Research methodology module only, may, on the recommendation of the examiners, be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Bioengineering (60 credits).

What are the bioengineering jobs in Ireland?

The highest per capita of Medical Technology personnel in Europe is employed in Ireland, which is home to 15 of the world’s top 20 MedTech companies and a proven location for research, design and manufacturing. The majority of the companies in the healthcare and medical device industry are international, and as such, opportunities to work both home and abroad are available in product development, manufacturing, management, research and teaching. Bioengineers will find that they work in interdisciplinary environments, and often have direct contact with physicians. Job titles include R&D Engineer, Medical Equipment Engineer, Medical Device R& D Engineer, Engineering Design Manager, Materials Engineer, Business development manager, Tech Transfer engineer.

Career opportunities for Tissue Engineering Specialisation graduates are exceptionally strong. 50% of the top 25 medical device companies worldwide are located in Ireland employing 25,000 people with annual exports of approximately €6.2 billion.

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary approach to develop new biomaterials, therapeutics and strategies for modern medicine. This is an exciting multidisciplinary field of research which holds significant potential in the treatment of many diseases and disorders and unmet clinical needs. The Tissue Engineering specialisation is part of our MSc in Bioengineering programme which has been developed to educate and train the next generation of biomedical tissue engineers.

This specialisation aims to provide a sound and broad basis in tissue engineering. In particular, we aim to provide engineers and scientists with the education needed to practice tissue engineering in the international medical devices industry.

The Medical Device Specialisation provides students with the knowledge to enter the vibrant medical device industry and potentially become one of the medical device industry’s future leaders.

What would my prospects be on completion of the course?

The success and impact of this course makes our highly skilled graduates employable around the world. Our graduate bioengineers work in the design and manufacture of medical devices with market leading companies including Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson; in hospital and clinical environments; on the regulatory practice of medical devices with the Irish Medicines Board and research laboratories including Stanford University. This M.Sc. programme is an excellent foundation for further research and many graduates are currently doing PhD research in Medical Device Design. To see a selection of current research opportunities go to www.tcd.ie/bioengineering/opportunities/ Notably some of our Bioengineering graduates have started their own companies translating their research into providing excellence in human health. Read more on this at www.tcd.ie/bioengineering/research-innovation/. There are many enticing graduate engineering positions and our MSc in Bioengineering programme is very highly recognised in industry.

Throughout the MSc programme you will have invaluable access to potential employers and clinical collaborators to help further your career. You will have the opportunity to meet with renowned international experts in the bioengineering field as well as enterprise & innovation seminars, visits to hospitals and lectures from leading surgeons and clinicians.